I have been thinking about 2011 even before it began. JA and I have this tradition of sitting down at the end of each year and write down the things we are grateful for for that year and our faith goals/prayer list for the upcoming year.
We like doing these two things because it nurtures gratefulness in our hearts and it builds our faith as we look forward to what is to come and we believe for breakthroughs and amazing things to happen.

We also did our annual prayer and fasting with our church the beginning of this month to seek God and hear from Him. We also took this time to pray for ourselves, each other, our families and our friends. This is I believe the best way to start out the year. It makes us put God first, and gives us the right posture for the rest of the year: to be completely dependent on Him and His grace in our lives. One thing it does to us too is that it gives us a clear direction and a sense of purpose as we go about our year.

JA and I are about to sit down again tomorrow to lay-out our plan for this year, and to share to one another what we believe God wants us to do and what not to do, what we should prioritize and what we should let go of, what we need to pursue and what we need to change in our lives.

As I was pondering on these things, I find it usually helpful asking myself questions that make it easier for me to make certain decisions. Here are the questions I usually ask:

Who are we living for? –JA and I have long decided that Jesus is the Lord of our lives and we not only live solely for His glory and pleasure, but He too calls the shots in our lives. This decision, this truth affects all our decisions–big or small. Our lives, our marriage, our family, our careers, our relationships, our time, our resources are all His and all for Him. (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. -Joshua 24:15)

Who are of greatest importance in my life (after God)? –This dictates my priorities.
God is always first. (His presence and His will is of first importance.)
JA comes second. (Practically speaking, this would mean putting his needs, his schedules, his dreams, his plans on top of mine. I really want to be the helper and support that he needs his wife to be. This year, I want and I will do my best to make it easier for him to work, succeed and live out his dreams.)
Andi and our future children comes third. Taking care of her, teaching her, training her, spending time with her is my third top priority.
Building a home for my family comes fourth to me. My family and the home I am building does not take a back seat in my life. I want to build a home that the people dearest to my heart would love to come home to and stay in. I want it also to be a source of blessing to people who visit my home.

The rest of my decisions I manage and work around based on who and what I prioritize the most. The rest of what I want to do, things I want to achieve and dreams I want to pursue only comes after God, JA, Andi and our home.

Health– I usually do not put ranking anymore after my 4 top priorities, but this year, JA and I really want to live a healthier lifestyle. I want to be able to come up with menus with healthier dishes. We want to not only eat right, but to exercise more and get enough rest and sleep.

What is the will of God in my life? – Lately I have been reading how Jesus did the will of His Heavenly Father in everything that He did, all throughout His life here on earth. I desire to do the same thing. I have come to a point in my life that I no longer long to do so what is popular, what is convenient, what makes the most money, what is easiest. I do not want too to be limited by my abilities and my resources. I want to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for my life, and for my family. And this is how I want to live my life. I am praying that I will have His grace, wisdom and power everyday to live out what He wants me to do, not what I want to do. God never shortchanges us anyway. His dreams is always better and greater than anything we can dream for ourselves. ( I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. -John 17:4)

I am starting a new year.
I am planning the best and wisest way to live it out.
And I am simplifying it.